Obesity and poverty...

RoadsterGirlie

I'm having a hard time understanding why people think it costs so much more to eat healthier food. Since my husband and I started eating healthier in January of this year, I've cut my grocery bill by about $100 every 2 weeks, so $50/week. I buy fresh veggies and fruit, lean, good quality meat, whole grain bread and low fat dairy. I shop at Aldi, Sam's Club and Albertson's. I do not use coupons very often. I quit buying as many snacks and sodas. We still eat everything we want, just less of it. Our farmer's markets are expensive, but I will buy things there, just because they are local, fresher and better tasting. I am feeding 2 thirtysomethings, a 79 year old, a 16 year old boy that plays sports, and a 10 year old girl. That is EVERY day. Some days I have at least one more teen and one more pre-teen. So why are people spending so much more money? I'm genuinely curious.

THIS!!!! Our food budget was cut in more than HALF of what it was when my husband and I embarked on a healthier lifestyle.

I honestly don't understand how healthier eating costs more. It absolutely does not...

HerBravado

I definitely agree--there's a strong correlation between obesity & socioeconomic status that many people forget about. It's more convenient & definitely easier to get junk food versus healthy versions. There are times even now when I have just a set amount of money & I need to make a meal...

It sucks. Because it is a lot easier to grab a bag of chips & call it a day.

It's not impossible to eat healthy on a budget, though. It takes planning. It takes commitment. There are so many factors, but money is a big one.

StinkyWinkies

Lets take your McDonald meal and times by 4 so you have enough for your family. That's $12.

Or you could buy: Hamburger helper ($2), pound of 70/30 hamburger ($3), bag of peas (or frozen veggies of your choice $3), a head of lettuce ($2), salad dressing ($2.50), croutons ($1.50), and single tomato ($1) to feed your family of 4 for $15 (and I was rounding up on prices). And you will still have part of the: Lettuce, salad dressing, croutons, and frozen veggies for other meals.

While the second meal is certainly NOT the ideal in health and weight loss, it absolutely kicks the McDonald's meal in the *kitten*.

I don't think its a money issue. It's more about knowledge of proper health and nutrition- which those living in impoverished communities don't get enough of.

That pound of 70/30 hamburger is the equivalent nutritional value as any McDonald's burger...and is really *not* a good value for the money, since 30% of the cooked product is fat and or water/fillers, so one has just wasted (for lack of a better word) one third of one's budget, better to spend that $3 on a pound of at least 80/20, even better 90/10. More beef per dollar spent, less *waste*.

detroitcupcake

i agree,many years ago i received food stamps for myself and young daughter.$271 a month.that is only $9.00 a day for us both,which equaled $1.50 a meal.no snacks.the neighborhood in which we resided had liquor stores,pawn shops,beauty supply stores on every corner.no large or brand name grocery stores in the area .to reach the nearest fruit&vegetable market took approx 3 hours each way and 2 different buses.so there i would be with a 2 year old in a stroller,dragging it onto the bus and then on the way home the few bags of groceries would be in the stroller while i carried my lil girl.anyone who thinks that poverty and poor nutrition are unrelated is simply ignorant.

detroitcupcake

you mention cutting your food costs but i would love to know what amount you cut the costs from.what is your food budget for your family at this time?

PilotX

we do have programs to help there are things called food stamps which I pay taxes towards

christina0089

I will probably be bashed for this... HOWEVER, I'm putting it out there anyway.

I agree with you 110% and have thought for a very long time, that we need to find a way to help the people we have living here in our own country, and slow down on helping the other countries. Part of the reason we are falling apart as a country is because we have stopped looking inside and taking care of our own. We MUST fix the things that are broken here before we can go to other countries and fix what is broken.

When we were a stronger country, helping others was vitally important, but in doing so we have lost sight of our own countries needs! I find it extremely sad.

Ok, I'm going to get off of my soap box, because I could go on forever with this :sad:

No bashing from me, well said and I agree with you 200%!!

Amen!

christina0089

I recently went to a talk about food security. Basically, it talked about the ability of people living at or below the poverty level, and their ability to feed themselves and their families. Basically what it came down to is this: if a single mother with two kids is on income assistance, she receives $1124 a month.

Now by my calculations:

Monthly income: $1124
Rent: $ 700
Basic telephone/cable: $ 65
Electricity: $ 40
Bus passes $ 122

So that leaves Mom with $197 a month to feed herself and her two kids. That's $49.25 a week, or $7.04 a day.

Where I live, 4 liters of milk costs $7.49. A 2 liter of pop is $1.49. A loaf of bread costs $2.29. A box of Kraft dinner is $1.09.

In this lecture, they talked about the "basic food basket" which is the food that one would need to buy to follow Canada's food guide for healthy eating. The cost in our community to meet those basic requirements was over $80/week for this hypothetical mother and her two kids.

If a parent is trying to feed herself and her kids on less than $50 a week, of course they are going to eat a lot of boxed meals.

Another issue addressed was the fact that in the cycle of poverty, a lot of times parents just don't know or have the skills to prepare healthful meals, so even though you might be able to cook a healthy stew for $15 that would feed them for three days, Mom might not have the skills or the tools available.

So my point, after this rather long post, is that I do agree, poverty certainly plays a role.

Where I live in FL the rent alone would not be covered by that assistance check... let alone buy groceries or pay bills! It is sad that people who can not afford the basic necessities. Especially where kids are involved.

charmin61479

I think it is offensive to equate poverty with lack of knowledge and education. Due to the struggling economy, even people with PhDs can be under the poverty line. I know of many intellectuals that have had trouble making ends meet. This type of thinking is stereotyping plain and simple and it is sadly quite prevalent in this entire thread.

On the other hand, I do agree with the interesting posts about this topic.

charmin61479

I am a mom working on a degree with a husband who makes minimum wage and with food stamps we only have 316 to feed five of us. It is hard to make it all come together. I have resorted to coupons and manager specials to make sure we are fed and making every meal stretch considering I have a bottomless pit husband and a growing son. My weight was due to over eating and more so emotional eating. My husband has a very high metabolism. They should offer some type of help for anybody who has issues.

pmteet

I am a mom working on a degree with a husband who makes minimum wage and with food stamps we only have 316 to feed five of us. It is hard to make it all come together. I have resorted to coupons and manager specials to make sure we are fed and making every meal stretch considering I have a bottomless pit husband and a growing son. My weight was due to over eating and more so emotional eating. My husband has a very high metabolism. They should offer some type of help for anybody who has issues.

316 is low but doable. Your empty pit hubby would have to tone it down but not your son. A growing boy (I have a 15 year old) needs lots of food provided he is a healthy weight. My son is long and lanky. There are ways to make from scratch and not cut down too much. I will not force my ideas on you if they are not wanted but feel free to ask.

I don't think they should offer help to anyone with issues. What issue's? A high metabolism is not a real issue. My 16 year old has been on a low sodium diet since she was 2. So many things I have had to make from scratch but the stuff I need for that is much pricier. IE no salt added tomato sauce, no salt baking soda/powder. I would have loved to have help but hubby made 10 dollars a month too much.

littlelady2b

Good for you for being a trainer etc. and for being healthy and in shape but if you understand kinesiology then you must understand that health promotion, education among other things are a problem in most societies around the globe. Being in the third year of my degree of kines I know that your point is valid but that is such a small part of the causes of obesity which I have studied and why I am here today educated and on my way to being healthy. I have fought obesity all my life. Genetics, education, self asteem, support, how a person was raised, environment, money, hormones, metabolism, whether a person is disabled or not and age are all just a few contributers and not excuses for obesity. Many people who have never truly lived with obesity don't understand and often many trainers set obese people up for failure (no saying you) because they overwelm them instead of starting them off slow so they quit. Anyway enough of my babbling lol the one point that I would like to make about the phone in today's violent drug infested society I am willing to give up healthy food for me in order to know my son is safe and to keep track of him especially since he is a teenager but I am lucky he really is a good kid.

fluffychicken7

the one point that I would like to make about the phone in today's violent drug infested society I am willing to give up healthy food for me in order to know my son is safe and to keep track of him especially since he is a teenager but I am lucky he really is a good kid.

If you ever taken a airplane flight, they always say that should there be a drastic change in cabin pressure, air masks will be released from their compartments. They also instruct you to place on your mask on first before helping your child with theirs. I totally understand a parents willingness to die for their children. Wouldn't it also be good to live a long life for your children as well?

Gabrielm80

This issue is not black and white. It can be just as cheap or even cheaper to buy all fresh and cook what is in season. I am a strong believer that most people waste money buying the junk instead of cooking at home. I can buy my 2 daughters a happy meal what is it 3 bucks each? Or 4 let's say 3 so 6 bucks and the wife and I buy some value meal burger plus fries atleast 4 dollars if not more for each so about 8 at the least plus 6 that's 12 bucks spent on dinner. Tonight I bought corn tortillas 1.50 had some left over(someone's making oven baked tortilla chips tomorrow), than defrosted chicken breasts (I usually use left over chicken from a baked chicken average 80 cents a pound) I bought previously bone and skin on when on sale at 1 $ a pound. Onion, bell pepper, and pablono pepper under a buck for all three, a cup of cheese plus some almond milk and well stocked spice cabinet. Alittle corn starch to thicken. Of course I could of used cream of chicken or mushroom instead of thicken almond milk with baked chicken au jus, but I saved there as well. Makes enough king ranch casserole for 8 portions. Under a dollar a portion. I paired it with a salad I splurged and bought prediced salad mix 2 bucks avacado 47 cents each and a Roma tomato 40 cent each. I still haven't reach 10 bucks and I and the wife and even have left overs to take to work. All scratch low fat compared to a cheese burger. No instant over processed food.
That said I shop religiously for the best deals. I plan my dinners by what is in season. Shop smart and shop as many different stores as I need to fill the fridge at the cheapest. I also have a deep freeze so I cut the gas cost down I buy meat and frozen vegs in bulk and self butcher if possible to save . I even went as far to freeze my own potatoes(which is harder than it sounds) when those thing go on sale the last few weeks in November(the American feast holiday season extravaganza food sales). I was taught this by my parents who struggled with money all our life. Getting McDonald's was hard for us and only happened when and if we could afford it.
Here is where this isn't black and white, I live in a big city and I have options. I have a car so I can buy a lot at once. Not every person has this. They might work two jobs, maybe one parent, and might have a limit in shopping locations. Is the only grocery in the area a gas station with grocery. Where maybe you have apples and oranges, but lacks in greens. Let alone what they do have is marked up per pound. Are they only able to buy what they can carry down the block. Is there room for a storage freezer, or is anybody home long enough to cook?
Poverty is drawn to fast food not because of just the price but because of some many other reasons. You can save money eating fresh never processed food but it has to be a priority because otherwise their are too many deterants that become easy excuses.
I hated how every weekend at the age of 13 on I had to help shop with my parents, but I really must thank them because now I just can't bring myself to waste money at McDonald's and KFC every single night after they taught me how to plan and shop. My kids beg like I use to "why cannot we go to McDonalds" and I say because that's not in our budget this week. So if I see someone complain within the city limits com about how fresh is expensive I am always willing to educate them if they are willing, but it usually a priority issue

Gabrielm80

Oh and my grocery budget I have worked down to 330 for a family of 4 and I spend every dime. No food stamps but sometimes I feel we need them. I also repurpose left overs like crazy. even though im a texan and this is a chili sin, chili with any type of beans really easy and cheap way to use yesterdays left over meat. Right now my biggest flaw is raw veggie waste. Seems I buy too much at once to save and it doesn't last long enough. I'm looking at you huge bag of baby carrots that seemed to turn in under a week

katy_trail

The real issue isn't the people that are on food stamps, or the people that don't need assistance.
it's the people who are barely getting by, but they make too much money to qualify for assistance.
That's when you need it the most, and they say you make too much money.
I could spend pages and pages discussing this. i'm very passionate about it and have been on food stamps
with my family and wic for years. We're not now, but I was always afraid of the transition, when we needed assistance,
but suddenly didn't qualify for anything. insurance, stamps nothing. Sometimes it's still hard, but I'm thankful that
we don't have it as hard as many other families, and we do the best we can.

pcastagner

Oh and my grocery budget I have worked down to 330 for a family of 4 and I spend every dime. No food stamps but sometimes I feel we need them. I also repurpose left overs like crazy. even though im a texan and this is a chili sin, chili with any type of beans really easy and cheap way to use yesterdays left over meat. Right now my biggest flaw is raw veggie waste. Seems I buy too much at once to save and it doesn't last long enough. I'm looking at you huge bag of baby carrots that seemed to turn in under a week

Lacto fermentation!


I sort of feel like the saying "we have to tighten our belts" should now be changed to "we will have to loosen our belts"

pcastagner

This issue is not black and white. It can be just as cheap or even cheaper to buy all fresh and cook what is in season. I am a strong believer that most people waste money buying the junk instead of cooking at home. I can buy my 2 daughters a happy meal what is it 3 bucks each? Or 4 let's say 3 so 6 bucks and the wife and I buy some value meal burger plus fries atleast 4 dollars if not more for each so about 8 at the least plus 6 that's 12 bucks spent on dinner. Tonight I bought corn tortillas 1.50 had some left over(someone's making oven baked tortilla chips tomorrow), than defrosted chicken breasts (I usually use left over chicken from a baked chicken average 80 cents a pound) I bought previously bone and skin on when on sale at 1 $ a pound. Onion, bell pepper, and pablono pepper under a buck for all three, a cup of cheese plus some almond milk and well stocked spice cabinet. Alittle corn starch to thicken. Of course I could of used cream of chicken or mushroom instead of thicken almond milk with baked chicken au jus, but I saved there as well. Makes enough king ranch casserole for 8 portions. Under a dollar a portion. I paired it with a salad I splurged and bought prediced salad mix 2 bucks avacado 47 cents each and a Roma tomato 40 cent each. I still haven't reach 10 bucks and I and the wife and even have left overs to take to work. All scratch low fat compared to a cheese burger. No instant over processed food.
That said I shop religiously for the best deals. I plan my dinners by what is in season. Shop smart and shop as many different stores as I need to fill the fridge at the cheapest. I also have a deep freeze so I cut the gas cost down I buy meat and frozen vegs in bulk and self butcher if possible to save . I even went as far to freeze my own potatoes(which is harder than it sounds) when those thing go on sale the last few weeks in November(the American feast holiday season extravaganza food sales). I was taught this by my parents who struggled with money all our life. Getting McDonald's was hard for us and only happened when and if we could afford it.
Here is where this isn't black and white, I live in a big city and I have options. I have a car so I can buy a lot at once. Not every person has this. They might work two jobs, maybe one parent, and might have a limit in shopping locations. Is the only grocery in the area a gas station with grocery. Where maybe you have apples and oranges, but lacks in greens. Let alone what they do have is marked up per pound. Are they only able to buy what they can carry down the block. Is there room for a storage freezer, or is anybody home long enough to cook?
Poverty is drawn to fast food not because of just the price but because of some many other reasons. You can save money eating fresh never processed food but it has to be a priority because otherwise their are too many deterants that become easy excuses.
I hated how every weekend at the age of 13 on I had to help shop with my parents, but I really must thank them because now I just can't bring myself to waste money at McDonald's and KFC every single night after they taught me how to plan and shop. My kids beg like I use to "why cannot we go to McDonalds" and I say because that's not in our budget this week. So if I see someone complain within the city limits com about how fresh is expensive I am always willing to educate them if they are willing, but it usually a priority issue

Good luck pulling that off in a food desert. Planning on going to work? Where will you find the three hours round trip transportation time via bus to the nearest actual grocery store? In a food desert your local options for produce are way over those prices, and way lower in quality.

It's so easy to assume that other people must not be trying hard, and to be blind to our own advantages.

Gabrielm80

This issue is not black and white. It can be just as cheap or even cheaper to buy all fresh and cook what is in season. I am a strong believer that most people waste money buying the junk instead of cooking at home. I can buy my 2 daughters a happy meal what is it 3 bucks each? Or 4 let's say 3 so 6 bucks and the wife and I buy some value meal burger plus fries atleast 4 dollars if not more for each so about 8 at the least plus 6 that's 12 bucks spent on dinner. Tonight I bought corn tortillas 1.50 had some left over(someone's making oven baked tortilla chips tomorrow), than defrosted chicken breasts (I usually use left over chicken from a baked chicken average 80 cents a pound) I bought previously bone and skin on when on sale at 1 $ a pound. Onion, bell pepper, and pablono pepper under a buck for all three, a cup of cheese plus some almond milk and well stocked spice cabinet. Alittle corn starch to thicken. Of course I could of used cream of chicken or mushroom instead of thicken almond milk with baked chicken au jus, but I saved there as well. Makes enough king ranch casserole for 8 portions. Under a dollar a portion. I paired it with a salad I splurged and bought prediced salad mix 2 bucks avacado 47 cents each and a Roma tomato 40 cent each. I still haven't reach 10 bucks and I and the wife and even have left overs to take to work. All scratch low fat compared to a cheese burger. No instant over processed food.
That said I shop religiously for the best deals. I plan my dinners by what is in season. Shop smart and shop as many different stores as I need to fill the fridge at the cheapest. I also have a deep freeze so I cut the gas cost down I buy meat and frozen vegs in bulk and self butcher if possible to save . I even went as far to freeze my own potatoes(which is harder than it sounds) when those thing go on sale the last few weeks in November(the American feast holiday season extravaganza food sales). I was taught this by my parents who struggled with money all our life. Getting McDonald's was hard for us and only happened when and if we could afford it.
Here is where this isn't black and white, I live in a big city and I have options. I have a car so I can buy a lot at once. Not every person has this. They might work two jobs, maybe one parent, and might have a limit in shopping locations. Is the only grocery in the area a gas station with grocery. Where maybe you have apples and oranges, but lacks in greens. Let alone what they do have is marked up per pound. Are they only able to buy what they can carry down the block. Is there room for a storage freezer, or is anybody home long enough to cook?
Poverty is drawn to fast food not because of just the price but because of some many other reasons. You can save money eating fresh never processed food but it has to be a priority because otherwise their are too many deterants that become easy excuses.
I hated how every weekend at the age of 13 on I had to help shop with my parents, but I really must thank them because now I just can't bring myself to waste money at McDonald's and KFC every single night after they taught me how to plan and shop. My kids beg like I use to "why cannot we go to McDonalds" and I say because that's not in our budget this week. So if I see someone complain within the city limits com about how fresh is expensive I am always willing to educate them if they are willing, but it usually a priority issue

Good luck pulling that off in a food desert. Planning on going to work? Where will you find the three hours round trip transportation time via bus to the nearest actual grocery store? In a food desert your local options for produce are way over those prices, and way lower in quality.

It's so easy to assume that other people must not be trying hard, and to be blind to our own advantages.

I posted about food deserts, I posted about transportation issues, in the very post you mentioned. I understand all those. I do often though hear this excuse from people I know. And my last paragraph was to the ones I know who have a car, has 3 grocery stores in walking distance, makes about the same or more than my family. It's not black and white. Some obstacles are harder for some than others. But there is a huge portion of the population that think healthy is expensive because they need to be taught or lack the modivation it takes to do it. I lived in two different parts of low income areas of San Antonio, but communities were not in food deserts, but had very different outcomes. The mainly Hispanic side of town. Everybody in the family grocery shops. Not everything was healthy but a lot of the food was made from scratch to save money. Food was planned and thought about as a family dynamic and fast food was seen as an expense in the play around cash, not the meal budget. Than I moved to a more mixed area. Instead of people being the 3rd generation of the neighborhood most of us moved into the area. Whether because of work access or affordability. Most people in my grocery store spend no time on the outer areas of the store. The frozen dinner sections always crowded and box dinners always a popular pick. I know some of these people and they could save money, do more for their Heath buying from the produce section than buying a viola skillet meal. Which per ounce is so expensive. Although their are over weight people in both neighborhoods, The extremes of the can't walk anymore ratio is bigger in my new neighborhood. I know more diebetics in one year here than I do from the 15+ years in the other. Many of my friends just don't have any desire to change. It's hard to shop and it requires work but for a large group of us is not impossible. Luckly There is no food desert in San Antonio, we have a grocery store on practically every corner. I am so thankful for HEB grocery they make a huge difference in this town.

pcastagner

Yeah I was thinking of my time in new haven, ct. Fair haven was a crazy food dessert. Car broke down and for one week it was like whoa, wake up dude! You have it easy!

Gabrielm80

Yup sound like when I would visit family in lake hills Texas. The only store was called Dusty's and it was pretty well stocked considering the size. But was all processed box items so no fresh produce. You either had to drive to Bandara Texas 30 minutes away down a highway or San Antonio 1 hour away. Although I never lived it day to day I use to experience it every visit. I understand alright how hard it is to get food in some areas

algebravoodoo

As someone who grew up damn poor but managed to claw my way out, get some schooling and now live a semi-middle class life, eating clean was the last thing on my mind and the minds of my parents. Maybe I'm wrong but our family drama was out there for the world to see - alcoholism, mental illness, unstable home and work life (for my parents). Growing up in a small town - you knew who had the issues with booze, craziness and drugs. It never seemed that the middle class families had these issues or hid it pretty well.

I read that a Kentucky (?) lawmaker wanted to tie academic performance of kids whose families receive aid - if the kid failed or underperformed, the family would lose their food stamps. I totally see that working.... :grumble: A kid who is already stressed and likely struggling with school due to lacking resources is now responsible for keeping the family's hunger at bay. No pressure there.

I am with you!! I teach classrooms full of kids who would fall into this category every day! While there are those that I feel would benefit from a little hospitality from our corrections system, most come in that room and give me everything they have to give every day! Sometimes that is pitifully little, but that is what is to be expected when the it is well known that this child slept outside in the same clothes he was in at school yesterday because he couldn't go home without getting in the way of mama's funtime. This is not always the case, but it happens often enough to make it a real consideration.

Wade406

To the point of the OP question, this video deals objectively with the issue:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/eating-healthy-on-a-budget/

mistesh

The relationship of obesity and poverty is likely to worsen considerably:

"If the rate of Alzheimer’s rises in lockstep with Type 2 diabetes, which has nearly tripled in the United States in the last 40 years, we will shortly see a devastatingly high percentage of our population with not only failing bodies but brains. Even for the lucky ones this is terrible news, because 5.4 million Americans (nearly 2 percent, for those keeping score at home) have the disease, the care for which — along with other dementias — will cost around $200 billion this year.

Gee. That’s more than the $150 billion we’ve been saying we spend annually on obesity-related illnesses. So the financial cost of the obesity pandemic just more than doubled. More than 115 million new cases of Alzheimer’s are projected around the world in the next 40 years, and the cost is expected to rise to more than a trillion of today’s dollars. (Why bother to count? $350 billion is bad enough.)"

Is Alzheimer’s Type 3 Diabetes?
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/bittman-is-alzheimers-type-3-diabetes/